Before the launch, there was a lot of doubt: too time-consuming, unnecessary, it wouldn’t be used, especially by employees who were not familiar with social media. So we did not expect so many to use it. Now every department fully embraces our internal communication platform.
Malene Lynnerup Jensen
Consultant, People Development
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The challenges
Kvadrat is a leading design and textile company with 951 employees across 28 countries and 45 locations. Kvadrat produces modern textiles and related quality products for architects, designer brands, the furniture industry, and individuals around the world.
Due to Kvadrat's size and global reach, management wanted to unify their business better. Sometimes colleagues around the world felt a bit distant from headquarters. The management team had read the book “TALK” by Boris Groysberg and wanted a solution that could cover the following:
Intentional – Talk with a purpose
Intimate – Face to face or virtual
Interactive – Talk with, not to, people
Inclusive – everybody has a say
How could Kvadrat bring everyone closer to headquarters, strengthen dialogue, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and a sense of belonging, while also significantly reducing the number of emails?
Through a large, virtual community!
We explored a SharePoint solution and realized that our data foundation was not solid enough. It would have been too much work. We needed a user-friendly platform and chose Colibo because it is a plug-and-play solution. Colibo is incredibly intuitive. It is easy to use, and we can basically design our intranet solution exactly the way we want it to look.
Malene Lynnerup Jensen
Consultant, People Development
Navigating the digital universe: Kvadrats intranet as the main gateway
In 2018, Kvadrat launched their intranet platform called “TALK”, although it was primarily used by management for company updates. In 2023, the People Development team at Kvadrat is teaming up with the Adoption Team at Colibo to create an exciting virtual shared Kvadrat community. Over the years, Colibo had developed new functionalities that supported this.
Key initiatives:
Tailored user journey for employees and management
Information screens for production departments
A more dynamic and visually appealing intranet that matches the design company (widgets, colour themes, and a dynamic background representing the headquarters).
Customer service was crucial for us. We felt supported at all levels. Line’s invaluable assistance went far beyond expectations and showed us how to fully utilize and customize the platform. Her dedication made us feel heard, not just like another little fish in the pond.
The results
Encouraging people to use the platform has worked. The “TALK” platform has now become a symbol of a unified brand and identity for the employees.
Malene explains: “For us, Colibo has been a game-changer. We have tried to make it the primary gateway to all our other systems. We link to our ERP system, our recruitment system, etc. It leads you further into our digital universe. You can always find the link you need, even if you have forgotten to save it. And the number of internal emails has fallen significantly as desired.”
Improved design culture
The increased use of the intranet has also significantly improved Kvadrat’s internal design culture, which is an important part of Kvadrat. Every year, all employees must participate in a design event to stay updated on design trends. Kvadrat has created a group called “Design Culture” on the platform, where employees can share their experiences and insights about design.
Malene elaborates: "Our design culture has come much more into the spotlight. We inspire each other through the platform. People share internally more than ever before. For example, we never shared new product launches globally – we do that now. Previously, we lacked insights into each department's design culture."
And the numbers do not lie
"We are experiencing high usage rates. Those who were initially skeptical are now active participants. In areas with skepticism, the engagement rate exceeds expectations. The platform has evolved to become an integral part of our design culture."
The myth that no one would use the intranet solution has been debunked. It is an outdated story. People use it everywhere, even in production units. It is astonishing how much it is used, contrary to the idea of “who has time for that”.
For Kvadrat, Colibo has been worth every penny. And let's not forget that the platform is constantly evolving.
Malene Lynnerup Jensen
Consultant, People Development
